Government Contracting
8(A)dvantage
– Why & How
Why should the government utilize
the 8(a) direct award process?
Procurement these days can be extremely challenging in today’s government contracting ecosphere. With the pressure of tightened budgets, operating within continuing resolutions, demanding technical customers, a myriad of contractors, and the necessity to do more with less, each procurement can seem to be a daunting proposition. By utilizing a direct award approach to meeting your requirements, contracting officers can exponentially reduce the procurement timeline from months to as little as two weeks. Contracting officers can select the company they want, retain the staff they appreciate, and directly work with the selected 8(a) contractor to reach the “right” price without violating the FAR. This collaborative “alpha negotiation” between the contractor and government team pre-award ensures there are no misunderstandings in contract scope and fosters a true partnership between government and industry prior to the start of the contract.
Benefits of the 8(a) direct award option include:
Alpha
negotiation
Guaranteed contractor
of choice
Flexibility &
reliability
Streamlined
procurement process
Helps facilitate agency
small business goals
How does the government
navigate the 8(a) direct award
procurement process?
Making a direct award is an extremely seamless process revolving around communication between the government customer, the SBA office, and the selected contractor. This process is straight forward, fast, and ensures the government and contractor are on the “same page” prior to contract award. The following is the truncated procedure to making a direct award:
Benefits of the 8(a) Direct
Beyond the obvious advantages of the government team making a direct award such as being able to choose the company they want, the reduction of risk of protest, and the streamlined acquisition approach, the real advantage is that both the government and contractor will have an exact understanding of what the requirement is, and how much it will cost. Utilizing the standard acquisition strategy, the government cannot directly communicate and collaborate with commercial firms. Contractors frequently have to bid on contracts with a long list of assumptions, because the exact extent of the requirements cannot be known perfectly without multiple Q & A sessions with the government. The 8(a) direct award process, and subsequent alpha negotiations nullify any possible misunderstandings there could be with project scope and budget, and both parties at contract start are satisfied and content with the award.